The night was quiet, except for the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant crash of waves. Karan walked alone along the empty street, still processing the whirlwind of emotions from the day. The beach, the laughter of Korn and friends, and Arthit's lingering gaze all replayed in his mind.
"Why does he make me feel… like this?" Karan muttered to himself, shaking his head.
A shadow fell across his path. He froze. "Arthit!" His heart raced. "You scared me!"
Arthit stepped closer, calm, confident, yet carrying a rare softness in his eyes. "I didn't mean to," he said, voice low, almost a whisper. "I just… needed to see you. To tell you everything, face to face."
Karan's chest tightened. "Everything?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Arthit nodded, stepping closer, closing the gap between them. "Yes. My fiancée… Arshiya. It's just for business. Nothing more. My heart… it's always been yours."
Karan's breath hitched. "Yours…?"
"Yes," Arthit said, voice rough with emotion. "Every thought, every heartbeat… it belongs to you. I can't hide it anymore. I don't want to hide it."
Before Karan could respond, Arthit leaned in, pressing his lips to Karan's. At first, it was tentative, testing, soft — a whisper of a kiss. Karan's body tensed instinctively, but something deep inside him stirred, refusing to push away.
"Arthit… wait!" Karan gasped, but the words came out breathless, almost pleading.
"I can't," Arthit whispered against his lips, his hands gently cupping Karan's face. "Not anymore. I need you to feel it… all of it."
The kiss deepened. Arthit's lips moved with slow, deliberate passion, brushing against Karan's with a mix of tenderness and longing. Karan's hands instinctively went to Arthit's chest, feeling the steady heartbeat beneath.
"I… I don't know if I—" Karan started, but his words were swallowed by another press of Arthit's lips.
"I know," Arthit murmured, his forehead resting against Karan's. "You're scared. I understand. But I need you to know… I'm not leaving. I won't. You don't have to fight me… not now, not ever."
Karan's eyes fluttered closed, leaning into the warmth, the intensity of the moment, the ache of desire mixed with uncertainty. "It's… overwhelming…" he breathed.
Arthit's hands slid down to hold Karan's waist, pulling him closer. "Then let it overwhelm you," he whispered. "Let me be the one who stands by you, always. Let me love you, Karan. Let me."
Karan's lips trembled against Arthit's. "I… I don't know if I can… I've never felt like this…"
"Then feel it with me," Arthit replied, voice low, intimate, and commanding. "Every heartbeat. Every touch. Every whisper. I'll guide you. Just… trust me."
And in that moment, Karan did. He let himself surrender to the warmth, the passion, the unspoken promise that Arthit's love carried. Their lips met again, deeper, slower, a perfect storm of emotion and desire. Fingers entwined, bodies close, hearts racing in tandem — the world outside ceased to exist.
"I've wanted this… wanted you," Arthit murmured between kisses, his breath warm against Karan's neck. "I'll wait forever if I have to… but I can't hide anymore. I need you to know… you are mine."
Karan's hands gripped Arthit's shoulders, his breath shaky. "I… I feel it… I feel it too…"
Arthit's lips brushed Karan's again, soft and tender, then deeper, pulling a small moan from Karan. "Then don't deny it. Not to me. Not to yourself. Let it happen. Let me in."
The night wrapped around them, the stars watching silently, the waves echoing the rhythm of their racing hearts. And for the first time, Karan let himself fall — not just into the kiss, but into the truth of his own feelings.
They parted slightly, foreheads resting together, breathing heavy, hearts pounding. Arthit's eyes searched Karan's. "I promise… I'll protect you. I'll care for you. I'll be yours — if you let me."
Karan swallowed, his lips curved into a small, tentative smile. "I… I want to… but it's all so fast…"
Arthit chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Karan's face. "Then we'll go slow. But I'm here. Always."
Karan's eyes glimmered with unshed tears, a mix of relief, desire, and burgeoning love. "Always," he whispered, sealing the promise in a soft, lingering kiss.
The world felt infinite, the night sacred, as they stood there — two hearts finally acknowledging the truth, two souls beginning to entwine, and the first spark of their forbidden, beautiful love igniting under the moonlight.
---.
End of Chapter 11—Confessions Under the Moon (Intimate Version)